(Description by J. Campbell)
Following Blasphemy’s temporary dissolution in 1993, the band members went their separate ways and for the most part remained musically silent—with one notable exception. After a year or so of relative inactivity, former Blasphemy vocalist and bassist Ace Gestapo Necrosleezer and Vaginal Commands partnered with Blasphemy drummer 3 Black Hearts of Damnation and Impurity sometime around 1994 or 1995 to work on a new project called Necrosleezer. Contrary to widespread speculation and misinformation, there were never any other band members.
The two rehearsed in a barn in the rural area surrounding Vancouver near where 3 Black Hearts was living at the time. Over the next year, the two-piece wrote around 11 songs and entered the legendary Fiasco Bros. Studio in 1995 to record a four-song demo. Upon completion, they dubbed copies of the tape and sent them to labels, but the tape received no serious attention, and the band disintegrated. Very few copies of the demo were released into the scene, and those that exist generally feature degraded audio. Although the demo has long been referred to as Recruit for Conflict, 3 Black Hearts always called the tape Pope Kill, and that alternate name, which is also the name of the opening track on the tape, has been adopted for this first official release.
The demo’s historical importance is undeniable—these are the only recordings from this era by any Blasphemy members—but it is equally impressive from a musical point of view. Although similar influences are present, Necrosleezer’s sound reflected a marked departure from the work that Ace Gestapo and 3 Black Hearts did with Blasphemy. Necrosleezer was repetitious and hypnotic, more sinister sounding and European influenced than anything Blasphemy did. Bathory is an obvious point of reference, but other influences, such as Norwegian black metal, German thrash, and grind, are all buried just beneath the surface. The songs are largely constructed around the monotonous intensity of 3 Black Hearts’ blast beats—the snare’s commanding presence dictating the movement of the track. Laid out across the percussive frenzy, Ace Gestapo’s riffs slide and shift into place. The execution is militaristic, but the sound is wretched. Only two of the songs feature guitar leads, and their unhinged nature adds to the feral sound of the demo. The vocals, repugnant and grim, hang above the mix, draped over the low-end matrix of the bass and drums.
Even though Necrosleezer recorded the material in a studio, it still sounds like a demo, retaining the primitive nature of the performance. Indeed, the astute listener might even notice someone coughing in the background on one of the tracks. Necrosleezer’s sound on Pope Kill is consistent and coherent, but there is more than enough diversity and nuance in the songwriting to distinguish the tracks and provide depth. The band’s approach is controlled cacophony—unrefined but not imprecise.
These four songs provide one of the few glimpses into the work that any of the members of Blasphemy did between the Gods of War album and the band’s return to the stage in the early 2000s. Long in need of a proper release, this version of the Pope Kill/Recruit for Conflict recordings has been remastered and restored as much as possible to its original form by James Plotkin. And while the original tapes the band sent out to labels lacked cover art, this edition features new artwork by Chris Moyen created specifically for this release. The unearthing of these tracks, their restoration, and the new presentation of this demo recording is, therefore, a monumental event._________________I don't read DMs.

(Description by C. Conrad)
A mere matter of months since it released its first official recording, “Demo I,” Perverted Ceremony returns with its uniquely abominable variety of black metal, hereby presenting its debut full-length album, “Sabbat of Behezaël,” under the very same banner of Nuclear War Now! First discovered by NWN! through the time-honored underground tradition of the band spreading self-produced cassettes to a limited number of contacts, Perverted Ceremony’s music reflects the same authenticity and dedication to their craft as their original manner of clandestine distribution. Although the band lists such revered acts as Demoncy, Mystifier, Von, Blasphemy, Profanatica, Archgoat, and Beherit, as their primary influences, their sound tends to gravitate somewhat more towards the latter two (along with Barathrum), who represent the Finnish tradition of bestial black metal. That said, Perverted Ceremony’s style is not easily compartmentalized according to their influences. On the contrary, with their distinctive approach to songwriting, production, and atmosphere, they have achieved a ritualistic blend of black metal that is unique unto itself. Additionally, Perverted Ceremony has proven with this album that the work recorded on its demo, which was already impressive in its own right, was only a snapshot in the band’s development, and one which has now been superseded.
The first of several elements that bind both the demo and the album is the band’s preferred reliance on using the very same analog eight-track recorder for both recordings. This deliberate choice has resulted in a very similarly full and organic, but not overly-refined, production value between the two. Another welcomed constant is the hideously buzzing guitar tone, which combines perfectly with the tremolo-picked riffing style, thus forming what has become one of the band’s trademark characteristics on both recordings. When coupled with the bass, often picking the same infernal note sequences a few octaves below it, the effect is a sound that burrows itself into the mind of the listener and is not easily extricated. On top of that mind-infesting buzz, deft flourishes of guitar leads emerge and rise above this hurtling maelstrom before fully dematerializing, proving to be a critical element that most bands of this type lack. The vocals on this album also inhabit and haunt the same accursed, sub-terrestrial registers as its preceding demo, lending it a most godforsaken aura.
Of course, there are differences between the demo and “Sabbat of Behezaël” which afford the latter a degree of superiority. Gone are the sampled intros of satanic sexual ritual that prefaced most songs on the demo. Though quite appropriate for that type of release, such an inclusion would have proven to be a distraction on a full-length album, and instead they are replaced with more minutes of the band’s own depraved ceremony. Also notable is the inclusion of a greater number and variety of riffs and tempo changes. Individual songs alternate within themselves from blisteringly fast tempos to black doom sequences reminiscent of Norway’s Faustcoven. The sum of these qualities, both formerly established and newly awakened, promise to make “Sabbat of Behezaël” one the highlights, if not THE black metal beacon of darkness of 2017.

(Description by C. Conrad)
Few active bands embody the authentic spirit of black metal as convincingly as Belgium’s Perverted Ceremony. Beginning with its 2016 “Demo I” and later punctuated in 2017 with the debut full-length, “Sabbat of Behezaël,” Perverted Ceremony has proven that the most effective music in this subgenre is that which emphasizes an aura of vileness and evil over the sterility that often results from modern recording and production techniques. It is in part this approach that has led to comparisons between Perverted Ceremony and some of the most respected names in black metal, with a particular resemblance to the Finnish tradition promulgated by such revered cults as Beherit and Barathrum. Although such high praise would be expected from the label charged with releasing the band’s work, it is substantiated by the fact that both the demo and album have already sold out multiple pressings over the course of the past year.
As was the case with these previous releases, Nuclear War Now! has again conspired with the band to release the self-titled “Perverted Ceremony” EP on twelve-inch vinyl format. Prefaced with an intro and featuring two longer tracks, “Graveyard Sacred Worship” and “Malformed Procreation,” this recording resumes where “Sabbat of Behezaël” left off. Still present are the established hallmarks of Perverted Ceremony’s sound, which is perhaps most uniquely identifiable in the incessantly buzzing guitars and bass, each inhabiting its own infernal register. These bleats are accompanied by the same demonic vocal incantations and ominous keyboard progressions as on previous recordings, both of which lend a ritualistic element to the music. The artwork that graces the cover of the EP is from a painting that depicts the osculum infame, or “Shameful Kiss,” a practice whereby a witch would greet and pay homage to the Devil by kissing his anus, or “other mouth.” Finally, in addition to appearing on the stand-alone vinyl version of this release, all three new tracks are also included on the CD version of “Sabbat of Behezaël,” which is to be released simultaneously and thereby promises to further the dissemination of this gospel of sinful immorality.

Die hard gold vinyl version with 3mm jacket, insert, sticker, and TS.
ANY ORDER THAT INCLUDES THIS PRODUCT WILL BE SENT ON NOVEMBER 18TH.

(Description by C. Conrad)
It has been over twenty-four years since the original Xibalba released its first album, “Ah Dzam Poop Ek,” in 1994. Since then, this unique cult of Mayan black metal has survived an extended period of inactivity and has more recently released a series of shorter recordings that merely served to whet its audience’s appetite for something more complete. Throughout this time, Nuclear War Now! has demonstrated its admiration and offered its support by reissuing the aforementioned debut full-length and “Ancients” demos compilation on vinyl, in addition to releasing the band’s “Demo 2010” cassette and “Ah Tza!” EP from 2015. However, it has taken nearly a quarter century to release its second full-length, “Ah Tza Xibalba Itzaes,” which is hereby also presented by NWN!, albeit under the revised band moniker of Xibalba Itzaes. This change in name, although potentially misleading, was deemed necessary to distinguish itself from another band who had either callously or ignorantly assumed the same title in recent years. As with previous recordings, “Ah Tza Xibalba Itzaes” combines the more commonly-recognized elements of black metal pioneered by the band’s early influences, such as Bathory, with others inspired by the pre-Hispanic traditions of the members’ Mayan ancestors. The resulting sound is one that has made the band one of the most unique black metal bands to have hailed from present-day Mexico. “Ah Tza Xibalba Itzaes” is comprised of a total of twelve tracks, of which eight are completely new and four are re-recorded songs that originally appeared on the preceding EPs and 2010 demo. The album’s production is sharp and cutting with only relatively light usage of varying effects (other than distortion), which is a refreshing contrast to those who rely on a shroud of reverb and delay to create an atmosphere that obscures the instruments themselves. Xibalba Itzaes’ connection to their cultural heritage is evident in the themes explored throughout, which include regular references to Mayan deities and related apocalyptic folklore. As such, “Ah Tza Xibalba Itzaes” hails the return of the warriors of the Mesoamerican black metal underworld and the Mayan death gods who spawned them and whose spirit they revere.

(Description by C. Conrad)
Following closely on the heels of Evil’s impressive 2017 debut album, “Rites of Evil,” Nuclear War Now! is pleased to present the band’s third demo, “The Gate of Hell.” Beginning with a self-titled instrumental intro that quickly morphs into the SarcóI_LOVE_PENIS-styled attack of “Hell’s Evil Bell’s,” Evil confirms that it has not lost a step since the recording of the preceding album. This demo combines the ferocity of early Brazilian deathcore, the aggression of Teutonic thrash, and the unhinged nature of Japanese hardcore into three original tracks and a cover of the aforementioned Brazilian masters’ “Desecration of Virgin.” These strikes serve as the warning shot over the bow forecasting the siege of Evil’s impending live album on Electric Assault Records, the ensuing second studio album on NWN! in the coming months, and, most urgently, Evil’s upcoming appearance at the Never Surrender Fest, which portends to lay waste to Berlin, Germany on November 1st-3rd of 2018.

(Description by J. Campbell)
Sometimes overshadowed by the masterful Fallen Angel of Doom LP, Blasphemy’s second and final album, Gods of War, is no less a masterpiece. As often happens to bands that are ahead of their time and don’t fall in line with the trends of their day, Blasphemy suffered setbacks following the release of their debut—most notably was the acrimonious relationship between the band and Wild Rags records. Although Fallen Angel of Doom sold very well, Blasphemy received virtually no royalties from the label, and the band sought out a new label to release its sophomore album. Having already released some of the most significant Black Metal albums of the early 1990s, Osmose was a promising choice for Blasphemy, and a deal was made. In the fall of 1992, Blasphemy returned to Fiasco Bros. studio, this time with a larger budget than they had available for their previous recordings. The core lineup consisting of Nocturnal Grave Desecrator and Black Winds, Caller of the Storms, and 3 Black Hearts of Damnation and Impurity all took part in the Gods of War sessions; however, Black Priest of the 7 Satanic Rituals, who played second guitar on Blood Upon the Altar, and Traditional Sodomizer of the Goddess of Perversity, who played guitar on Fallen Angel of Doom, both left the band prior to the second album. Rather than bring in a second guitarist, the band was joined by bassist Ace Gustapo Necrosleezer and Vaginal Commands, leaving Black Winds able to focus exclusively on his vocals. The immediate force of the Gods of War album is undeniable. At just over 20 minutes in length, it is as succinct and powerful a statement as any Black Metal. On prominent display are the band’s Grindcore influences, with several of the tracks clocking in at under one minute. The album also features re-recordings of four tracks from the Blood Upon the Altar demo, this time with fuller production. Overall, Gods of War features the most aggressive performances and the heaviest sound of Blasphemy’s studio output. This edition of the Gods of War album is also noteworthy because it marks the first time that NWN! has had the honor of releasing it since acquiring the rights to the recording from Osmose. To mark the occasion, NWN! has endeavored to repackage the release with a layout that is more in keeping with Blasphemy’s previous releases, and more consistent with the band’s original vision.

(Description by J. Campbell)
In 2016, Death Worship released its tremendous debut, Extermination Mass. That MLP was years in the making—meticulously composed, precisely executed, and painstakingly recorded. Written and conceived by R. Forster (Domini Inferi/Conqueror/Blasphemy) and performed with the assistance of J. Read (Conqueror/Axis of Advance/Revenge) on drums, along with backing vocals by Black Winds from Blasphemy, the six tracks on Extermination Mass served as a reminder of the potency that still remains in extreme metal when left in the capable hands of masters. Currently, Death Worship are in the process of writing and recording the follow up to Extermination Mass; however, Forster has made clear his intentions with the project and quality will never fall victim to expediency. In the meantime, to slake the underground’s appetite for new Death Worship material, NWN! is releasing the demo version of the Extermination Mass recording. This alternate recording, made in a home studio setting a few months before entering Fiasco Bros. Studio to commit the final version to tape, was only circulated among close associates of the band. Forster’s intention in making these alternate demo tracks was, he says, to establish “a clear and exact focus of what I wanted to achieve.” In particular, Forster wanted to spend time working out the vocal patterns using these demos. Beginning with a base recording with Read on drums and Forster on guitars, he used the tracks as a template to work and re-work the vocals, as well as the guitar leads and overdubs. Listening to the final result, it is apparent that Forster’s methodical approach clearly paid off. This demo contains all six of the Extermination Mass tracks, set in the same order as the MLP, but features more feral performances and coarser production. Indeed, these alternate versions will, for many, be preferable to the final versions presented on the original MLP because they so vividly capture the brutal essence of Forster’s and Read’s assault. When asked why he wanted to formally release these versions of the Extermination Mass recordings, Forster responded: “Demos with productions like this were the norm back in the old analog tape trading days and somehow the ‘evil’ was expressed better with this type of recording. Something happens with a sound that is too cleaned up. All the darkness is wiped away.” “This recording,” he clarified, “is for the die hard maniacs into more savage sounds.” Completing the presentation of the Extermination Mass Demo is cover artwork painted/created by Calvariam Design (Germany) based on “the Desolator” image from the original Extermination Mass cover.